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the company: dancers pascal rioult :: joyce herring  :: dancers :: designers :: board of directors BRIAN FLYNN (Dancer) is originally from Walpole, MA. Mr. Flynn earned his BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase and has performed in the works of such choreographers as Paul Taylor and Merce Cunningham, Mary Anthony, Eun Me Ahn, and Kevin Wynn, and also performed with the Boston Ballet in Ben Stevenson's production "Cleopatra." Mr. Flynn has taught and set works for RIOULT including Bolero and If By Chance at Alvin Ailey/Fordham University BFA program, Goucher College and the Bermuda Civic Ballet. Mr. Flynn joined RIOULT in 1999 and is co-founder of RIOULT Circle. Watch Brian's interview PENÉLOPE GONZÁLEZ (Dancer) was born in Mexico City where she began her formal dance training at the Ballet Nacional de México. In New York, she studied on scholarship at the Martha Graham School. She danced numerous principal roles with the Martha Graham Dance Ensemble and performed with the Martha Graham Company at NY City Center and the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina and Italy. Ms. Gonzalez has set RIOULT repertory, served as rehearsal assistant and taught modern dance classes at universities in the US and Mexico. Ms. Gonzalez is the Marketing Manager at RIOULT since 2010. Her duties include monitoring social media, website updates, assisting in communications with international presenters, designing marketing materials and video editing. She joined RIOULT in 1998. JOSIAH GUITIAN (Dancer) began dancing in his hometown of Minot, ND in high school. He went on to earn a degree in dance through the Fordham/Ailey BFA program under Anna Marie Forsythe and Denise Jefferson. While at The Ailey School, Mr. Guitian was selected to perform at the opening ceremony for the Joan Weill Center for Dance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He went on to dance with Samar King in Yaa Samar Dance Theater and in his junior year began dancing with Jennifer Muller/The Works.  Mr. Guitian joined RIOULT in 2011. CHARIS HAINES (Dancer) is originally from Carpinteria, CA. Ms. Haines graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BFA in Dance, receiving the Alice Condodina Performance Award upon graduation. In NY Ms. Haines has performed with Wendy Osserman, Silver-Brown Dance, Jessica Gaynor Dance, Katherine Howard, Sue Hogan and Lux Dance. Ms. Haines, a teacher for RIOULT's DanceReach program is also a certified Pilates instructor. Ms. Haines was first introduced to RIOULT while working at The Joyce Theater as the Assistant House Manager. She joined RIOULT in 2007. JERE HUNT (Dancer) a native of Huntsville, AL graduated in 2009 with a BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College under the direction of Katie Langan. While there he performed works by David Parsons, Christopher d’Amboise, Martha Graham, Molissa Fenley, Edgar Zendejas, and others. Mr. Hunt was an apprentice with the Alabama Ballet during the 2006-2007 season under the direction of Wes Chapman. In NYC, he has worked with such choreographers as Larry Kegwin, Lane Gifford, Vera Huff, and Kristi Sutton, and danced with SYREN Modern Dance and DeMa Dance. Mr. Hunt joined RIOULT in 2010. MICHAEL SPENCER PHILLIPS (Dancer) is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BFA, Dance), where he was also a member of the Peter Sparling Dance Company. Upon graduation, he attended the Merce Cunningham School on scholarship and performed in the Cunningham Repertory Group. Other performance credits include New York City Opera, Battleworks Dance Company, Risa Jaraslow and Dancers, and an apprenticeship with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. He is a teaching artist with RIOULT's "DanceREACH" program and has had the privilege to restage Mr. Rioult's work. Mr. Phillips joined RIOULT in 2002 and is co-founder of RIOULT Circle. JANE SATO (Dancer) hails from San Francisco, California. She has danced for ODC/SF, Buglisi Dance Theater, the Metropolitan Opera, Battery Dance, Peridance Ensemble and Thang Dao. Her training consists of 10 years at San Francisco ballet, a BFA from Juilliard, a yoga certification and was serious enough to compete in ballroom and Latin dances. She also sews, knits, makes jewelry and paints. Her blog is www.nonplainjane.wordpress.com. Gracious thanks to my many teachers who have given their knowledge so generously! Ms. Sato joined RIOULT in 2005. Watch Jane's interview SARA ELIZABETH SEGER (Dancer) Originally from New Jersey, Ms. Seger graduated high school from the UNC School of the Arts contemporary dance program in 2010 where she performed works by Mark Morris, Jose Limon, Larry Keigwin, Diane Markham, and others. She attended the Fellowship Program at the Ailey School and performed in Memoria with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their NY City Center season. Performances credits include: the Lincoln Center Institute, Cool NY Dance Festival, Triskelion Arts NY, Jennifer Muller/The Works Hatch Series, and the American Dance Festival. Ms. Seger joined RIOULT in 2011. ANASTASIA SOROCZYNSKI (Dancer) was born and raised in New Jersey. In 2002, she graduated with a BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase where she worked with such choreographers as Donald Byrd, Kevin Wynn, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Ayako Kurakako, Astrid Von Ussae and Tracie Stanfield. Ms. Soroczynski is actively involved in team teaching for RIOULT's outreach program, "DanceREACH" and frequently demonstrates for master classes. She recently restaged RIOULT's Wien on an all women cast for Fusionworks Dance Company in Rhode Island and has taught dance in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. Ms. Soroczynski is RIOULT's Costume Coordinator and is also an administration manager and production co-coordinator at Ballet Academy East. She joined RIOULT in 2002. MARIANNA TSARTOLIA (Dancer) was born in Athens,Greece where she received her BFA in dance from the State School of Dance. A recipient of scholarships from the Onassis Foundation and Merce Cunningham Foundation, Ms. Tsartolia graduated from the Merce Cunningham Studio in 1997. She performed in the US and Europe with Mandafounis Modern Dance Company, Octana Dance Theater, Connecticut Ballet and Analysis Dance Company. For the past nine years, she has worked as a teaching artist and is now the Educational Artistic Advisor for RIOULT's "DanceREACH" program. Ms. Tsartolia taught technique and repertory workshops in the US, France, Greece and Bermuda. She has restaged RIOULT’s choreography for the Frank Sinatra School, Civic Ballet in Bermuda and the Hellenic Dance Company in Athens, Greece. Ms. Tsartolia holds a Certificate in Fashion Design from Parsons and designs costumes for dance. She joined RIOULT in 1998. Watch Marianna's interview SABATINO A. VERLEZZA (Apprentice) grew up in Shaker Heights, OH and received his BFA in Dance from Kent State University, graduating summa cum laude with honors from the National Honors Society of Dance Arts. He began dancing at a very young age at the Cleveland San Jose Ballet/Cleveland School of Dance and continued his training with Nancy Lushington and his parents, Barbara and Sabatino Verlezza. He has had the opportunity to perform multiple works by modern dance pioneer May O’Donnell and while in college sat on the board of the National Dance Education Organization as national student representative. Mr. Verlezza joined RIOULT in 2012. HOLT WALBORN (Dancer) who hails from Western Kentucky started dancing at 13 and studied at Interlochen Arts Academy. A graduate of Butler University with a BFA in Dance he worked with Marek Cholewa, Tong Wang, and Susan McGuire. Performance credits include Paul Taylor's Cloven Kingdom, Antony Tudor's Dark Elegies and the Nutcracker Prince in Butler Ballet's The Nutcracker.  He moved to NYC in May 2010, he has worked with Spark Movement Collective and The Hoover Dam Collective.  Mr. Walborn joined RIOULT in 2011.